Coach Troussier's strong message about squad reform

From what has been seen in the process of helping Japanese football succeed more than 20 years ago, people are imagining a similar, synchronized approach of Mr. Philippe Troussier with Vietnamese football towards the 2026 World Cup. That is how he "held" 3 teams U19, U23 and the Japanese team at the same time to create a team that participated in the 2002 World Cup full of youth, fighting spirit and for the first time passed the group stage in a prestigious World Cup.

With Vietnamese football, coach Troussier is currently directly in charge of only the U23 team and the Vietnam national team, while the U19/20 team is being assigned to Mr. Hoang Anh Tuan. After the recent U20 Asian Cup finals, the fact that Mr. Troussier called up 6 U20 players to join the U23 Vietnam team and the media reported on the exchange between the two domestic and foreign coaches shows the close connection of the above story. At the same time, the fact that all 6 young players from the U20 team are named in the Doha Cup-2023 of the U23 Vietnam team shows the French coach's preferred "model" when building forces for the teams, in which young players are always the top priority.

Mr. Philippe Troussier. Photo: VFF

Currently, the coach is focusing on the U23 Vietnam campaign towards the 32nd SEA Games. Whether or not he successfully defends the regional youth football gold medal, the most important thing is still to find forces in the U23 and U20 teams to supplement the Vietnam National Team towards the 4 rounds of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. People have envisioned Mr. Troussier's new model for the Vietnam National Team is to retain 60% of the players from the time of Mr. Park Hang-seo, 20% from the U23 and U20 Vietnam, the remaining 20% ​​selected from the V-League and the 2023-2024 First Division...

In fact, the above numbers are only relative and the continuous replacement and addition will take place as usual, depending on the performance, injuries, penalty cards... related to each player. This is a regular opportunity for those who are progressive, do not surrender to fate, and never give up despite the fact that reality is always difficult and challenging.

Of course, there will be special factors that any coach will always give "number 1 priority" to them, such as the injury of Trong Hoang under Park Hang-seo or the story of Quoc Viet being sick and not playing in the first friendly match with Phu Tho First Division team recently but still being named by Troussier, while the two players who scored in that match, Manh Quynh and Van Huu, were eliminated. The problem is that Manh Quynh and Van Huu have not completely lost their chance, as have the other 9 players on the recently eliminated list. If being eliminated will make them rush into training, compete well in the V-League and the First Division and they continue to be targeted, then of course they will be called back in the near future.

Vietnam team training under Mr. Philippe Troussier. Photo: VFF

Another issue of interest is who will be retained by Mr. Troussier and who will be eliminated from the 60% of players from the Park Hang-seo era. It is not outside the general and specific rules mentioned above. There will be names that are almost "default" despite injuries or poor performance, due to their inherent class, such as Van Lam, Ngoc Hai or Quang Hai. But there will be "favorites" from the Park Hang-seo era who have not performed well in the national team and have "stepped down" in the club, so of course they will have to give way to others, especially the juniors in the U23 and U20 teams who are currently making waves.

There have been specific messages, early warning bells for the players about the change of blood, the renewal of the Vietnam National Team, starting with Mr. Troussier's Vietnam U23 team. The French coach's favorite students like Khac Luong, Manh Quynh... were eliminated early, so anyone can be called if they do not try hard, do not really fit the viewpoint, the new way of doing things that he strictly, decisively, and with full authority. But anyway, this coach always leaves a necessary open space for all students.

That is 20% of the force supplemented from "real combat" in V-League and First Division. Xuan Tien, Van Cuong, Khac Luong, Manh Quynh, Nam Hai... of Song Lam Nghe An, Dinh Duy, Phi Hoang of Da Nang... are the names that will be considered and calculated in the careful steps of the French strategist in the coming time.